My grandma is the authority on food, at least in my family. When I mentioned that I was writing about food processors, she had plenty of input. She once bought my uncle a food processor for his birthday two years in a row. And no, she doesn’t think he uses it.
That’s the problem, she says: so many people get food processors as a wedding present or holiday gift and leave them wedged in the corner of the cabinet. But not grandma. She uses hers a few times a week, even to make apple muffins.
To her, a food processor is a necessity of the kitchen. It saves time chopping and dicing ingredients. But choose wisely, as some may take too much time to clean or are too complicated for your needs.
If you just want smoothies and thin dressing, look for a blender. We have a roundup of the best blenders as well as the best single-serve blenders.
Be honest with yourself as you scroll through this list: What will you actually make with this machine? How many people do you usually serve? Is there enough space in that awkward cabinet above the refrigerator?
If you host people frequently or are a potluck fein, you have a tough choice to make. Do you want a food processor large enough to slice in bulk? Or are you usually just feeding a table of four? There are some impressive (and expensive) machines that’ll get you cooking in no time, and there are small models that require a little less budgeting.
Keep your eye on the wattage. The larger the number, the easier it can cut through food. This can save time and frustration.
Another key feature is the attachments. A standard s-shaped blade comes with every model, but some allow you to swap for different types of cuts. The standard blade can do a lot, even make dough. It chops and grinds perfectly, but won’t slice or julienne. My top pick even has a disc to make waffle fries. But these features usually come alongside hefty price tags.
To create this list, I spent hours combing through reviews and suggestions. I’ve watched a lot of America’s Test Kitchen videos on YouTube, and I’ve even scrolled through the food processor Reddit page. The final step is to get a variety of price points, sizes, and designs. Hopefully one of these will suit you.
This 26-pound powerhouse is highly praised among culinary enthusiasts. It earns an average of 4.5 stars across most distributors’ websites, and the most common complaint is that the plastic parts aren’t dishwasher safe. Breville’s website says it’s okay to wash them on the top shelf of the dishwasher now and then, but constantly running them through will damage the plastic.
The feed chute on this processor is one of the widest; there’s enough space to drop a potato in sideways. For smaller vegetables, there’s a second, leaner tube. But the blade will only spin if you use the food pusher, a common safety feature.
Most food processors pulse without many tech features, but this one has a timer to make recipes succinct. It can count down if you know how long you want it to spin, or make the timer count up to measure how long is just right. This can be key for making the perfect dough.
The Breville Sous Chef has the delicacy to handle a flaky pie crust but also the power to chop potatoes cleanly and quickly. Its consistency will cut down on waste and wow your guests — you no longer have to call your coleslaw “rustic.”
The BFP800XL holds 16 cups, but there are smaller models in the series if you don’t have quite enough cabinet space. For a smaller batch, Breville includes a 2.5-cup processing bowl that goes inside the larger one. It’s also the perfect size for making dips and sauces.
The standout feature is a manual side-scraper attached to the lid of this food processor. As the machine blends your sauce or dip, you can keep the sides clear by twisting a dial on top. This saves time fumbling with the lid on other models.
The price is the main reason for purchasing this unit. Few processors under $50 have the capacity and slicing/shredding discs of the Hamilton Beach food processor. Plus, the wattage is impressive for a low-end appliance.
The average review on Amazon is 4.5 stars, with a few complaints of a short lifespan. Many of these complaints were after using the product for a year or more. To extend its life, we'd suggest you hand wash the components of the food processor.
Amazon reviewer Josh W. says:
I usually cook for one, so most food processors seem excessive for my lifestyle. But this one could fit among my shelves of mismatched plates and bowls. It’s less bulky than family-sized processors, but it doesn’t feel flimsy.
The base is die cast metal, making it sturdy enough to avoid wiggling around the countertop. The white and black models have plastic bases, so avoid those if you want the weight of metal.
The blade, which rotates between chopping and grinding, spins and hits the food with the blunt side on the chopping setting while the grinding side should be utilized for harder foods, like almonds.
The blade locks into the base, keeping it safe from tumbling out. It has to be tight for the processor to start up too, so you don’t have to worry when cooking with a little helper.
Amazon reviewer C. Drennan says:
KitchenAid makes a line of food processors with what it calls the “exact slice system.” It’s a sliding adjustment for the slicing disc, located on the base of the processor instead of the disc itself. This way, you can make a slice thicker or thinner without having to disassemble the processor.
The feed tube is split into three sizes, thus eliminating the need to precut the ingredients.
The processor comes with a nine-cup bowl and a 2.5-cup bowl with corresponding blade. It’s great to whip up something quickly for lunch or for the picky eater of the family. My grandma uses smaller bowls when she needs to alter a portion of a meal for someone with food allergies. The group can have the original recipe, but allergies still get accommodated. Use her strategy when dealing with your one keto-dieting friend.
Amazon reviewer Shari B. says:
When I asked around about food processors, I heard that a lot of people look for Cuisinart. It’s a brand that balances quality with affordability for a lot of consumers. It doesn’t out-perform the Breville (my top pick), but it’s about half the price.
The main drawback is that there are two slicing discs, but neither are adjustable. At this price range, you can usually customize the size of the slice. If you’re as indecisive as I am, it’s nice to not have to worry too much about the thickness of the slice.
The feed chute is wide, a good indication that the processor can handle full vegetables. Usually, you chop things into sections before the machine dices it further. The 720 watts powering the Cuisinart enable it to slice through thicker pieces.
Amazon reviewer Salena Lettera says:
It’s okay, Goldilocks. Chopping your produce into bits is too hard. Electric food processors are too bulky. This one may be just right.
This food processor is certainly the odd one out on this list, but it deserves to be here just as much as the electric appliances. The sharp blades slash through fruits and vegetables like the others, only this one is powered by a manual button. Keep pressing until the chop is small enough and voilà, you’re done.
The key benefit of this device is that you can store your food in the bowl. Remove the blade and the handle, and your chopped salad is potluck ready. It’s like Tupperware with a super power.
The downside is that the cuts are less precise than electric models, and it can’t make sauces that require a lot of blending. It can stir and chop, but it will never make you fries.
Amazon reviewer Ronald Kirk says:
Ninja expands beyond blenders and brings clever design to food processors with the Express Chop. The power is stored at the top of this device rather than at the base, and food is chopped as it whisks around and through the blades.
It’s a quick and simple approach to food processors, which is perfect for some kitchens. The cuts aren’t going to achieve the precision of more complicated processors, but it should work if your dinner guest isn’t Gordon Ramsay.
Amazon reviewer Zachary Long says: